Safety razor



Jan. 30, 1934. J. KENNARD, JR 1,945,370

SAFETY RAZOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1929 W/l/dmnimn-wma muffvelzcer jferznard Jr.

Jan. 30, 1934- J. s. KENNARD, JR

' SAFETY RAZOR Filed Nov. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 30,1934 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE SAFETY RAZOR Joseph Spencer Kennard,Jr., New York, N. Y. Application November 4, 1929. Serial No. 404,852

10 Claims. (01. s0 1 2 This invention relates to safety razors. of thekind in which a blade having two cutting edges is utilized. One objectof the invention is the provision of such safety razor wherein thecomponent elements are inseparable to obviate the disadvantages ofhandling a number of separate parts and the risk of loss of such parts.Accord ingly, the blade clamping elements, the guard comb and base,while relatively movable to permit the insertion of the blade, areinseparably connected with the handle. More particularly, the guard forthe blade is formed with an aperture for the passage of an arm carriedwith the base, to which arm the handle is secured. My inven tion canalso be applied to sharpening devices.

A further object of the invention is the utilization of movement of thehandle with respect to the clamping elements to effect the retention ofthe blade in cutting position. To this end the handle is formed with abearing surface adapted to contact with the guard when in operativeposition of the parts, movement of the handle about its pivotalconnection with the arm serving to relieve the clamping effect of theguard and base to permit the insertion and removal'of a blade.

The invention also has as an object the adjustment of the tension towhich the blade may be subjected in order that the degree of closenessof the shave obtained by the razor may be readily controlled. This maybe realized by forming the end of the handle which engages the guardcomb as a cam surface to press, in varying degree, .the guard againstthe blade and thus depress, more or less, the blade within the concaveside of the base. In lieu of a cam surface, the handle may be providedwithan adjustable member, such as a screw which may be projected'to thedesired degree against the guard comb. Another means of realizing thisaspect of the invention involves varying the distance between the baseand the pivotal connection of the handle with the arm carried by thebase. To this end the arm is divided and adjustable securing means forthe parts of the arm permit the spacing of the base and handle to thedesired degree.

The invention also seeks to permit the razor to be held to the face atdifferent angles'in order that no awkward position of the arm isrequired to bring the blade against the beard at the proper cuttingangle. To this end the bearing end of the handle is formed with aplurality of surfaces any one of which when bearing upon the guard willeffect the clamping of the blade while the handle isdisposed in angularrelation therewith;

The invention also has for its object to provide a safety razor in whichthe blade is held with its cutting edges very truly parallel to theedges of the guard.

The invention also has for its object to provide for automatic ejectionof the blade from the guard to facilitate its ready removal.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a novel andefiective blade which may be associated with a razor of the characterdescribed to permit the foregoing objects to be realized.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for theirattainment will be more apparentfrom the following detailed descriptionof preferred embodiments thereof, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the razoraccording to the present invention, substantially actual size.

' Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation on an enlarged and partly insection scale showing the manner in which a blade is clamped between thebase and guard through the agency of the handle to which the clampingparts are inseparably connected.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view with the handle omitted for clearness.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line IVIV Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line V+V Fig.2. I

Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the comb-edged guard for the bladeand showing particularly the elongated aperture for the passage of thearm and the blade positioning lug.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the razor blade according to the inventionformed with an indent for the reception of the arm on the base and ahole for the positioning lug thereon.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a second embodiment.

Fig. 9-is an end elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modification of theinvention wherein a threaded member in the handle is availed of to varythe clamping efiect on the blade.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view in side elevation and partly in sectionshowing an adjusting screw adapted to secure the arm to the base, thetightening or loosening of which causes variation in the clamping effecton the blade.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of a modified form of blade.

The blade 1 is adapted to be inserted between clamping elementscomprising the convex guard comb 2 and a concave base 3, which aremounted a double-edged blade,

fruit the removal or insertion of the blade.

direction or the other,

upon. a handle 4. extending generally at right angles thereto. In safetyrazors hitherto employing the handle, guard and base have been separateparts which necessitated assembling and disassembling whenever a bladewas to be inserted or extracted. The present invention seeks to obviatethe disadvantages of a number of separate parts by mounting the handle aas by the pivot 5 upon an arm 6 carried by the base, and forming theguard with an aperture 7 for the passage of the arm. Thus the razorparts are at all times inseparable although the guard 2 may be movedinto spaced relation with the base 3 for the insertion or removal of ablade by sliding the guard along the upwardly extending portion 8 of thearm 6. The blade is inserted from the end opposite to the arm and isformed with an indent 9 to fit about the arm and permit the cuttingedges 10 to extend the full length of the base. At the opposite end theblade may be formed with a hole 11 for the reception of a rounded lug 12on the guard 2 which enters a recess 13 in the base 3 and serves aspositioning means for that end of the blade and guard. To permit thefingers to grasp the blade easily, the guard 2 is cut away as at 14. Theblade may be provided with indents 9 on each end, as shown in Fig. 12,to fit about the arm 6 and lug 12.

The handle 4 serves to secure the guard and base in clamping relationwith the blade by means of the cam surface indicated generally at 15,which bears upon a hardened plug 16 screwed into the threaded aperture17 in the center of the guard. The cam is so formed that when the handleis substantially at right angles to the clamping elements thedesiredclamping pressure is exerted, but when the handle is moved angularlyabout the pivot 5 the cam is turned away from the guard to release thepressure and per- If desired, a cam surface 18- (Fig.6) may also beformed on the handle at an angle with the first named cam surface whichwillbear upon the guard with equal effect but which will enable therazor to be used for shaving with the handle at a convenient angle withthe plane of the blade. Should the engaging surfaces wear, this may becompensated for, by unscrewing the plug slightly out of the' guard, aslot being formed in the plug for the reception of a screw driver or thelikefor this purpose also by adjustment of the plug 16 the tension ofthe blade when clamped between the cover guard and concave base may bevaried in order that a close shave or one not so close may be 15 and 18(Fig. 8) may be disposed at different distances from the axis of thepivot 5. I

A modification of the pressure exerting means is illustrated in Fig. 10wherein a threaded member 19 is carried by the end of the handle 4 andprojects into a recess 20 in the bearing plug16, the degree of pressurebeing determined by the extent of projection as will be understood. Thedegree of pressure may also be varied by varying the distance betweenthe pivot 5 and the base.

Thus the horizontal portion 6 (Fig. 11) ofthe arm may be separate fromthe vertical portion 8 and these portions may be connected-by a screw 21such that by turning the knurled head 22 in one the relation of the twoparts is changed.

The guard 2 may be provided with a bentover secured. To this end alsothe cam surfacesengagement lift the guard 2 away from base 3, as shownin dotted lines Fig. 2, so as to facilitate the removal of the blade 1.Moreover, the arm 6 is preferably provided at its free end with aninwardly turned projection 22, adapted to project through an aperture 24in the guard 2 when the guard is lifted, and strike against the blade 1and eject it from the lug 12 in case the blade is lifted with the guard.

The edges 26, 27, of the indent or slot 9 in the blade are preferablyformed accurately parallel with the cutting edges 10, and also theedges26, 27 are made to fit closely against the adjacent sides of arm 6, soas to virtually eliminate looseness or side play of the blade andprovide a true parallelism of the cutting edges 10 with the edges of theguard and base.

A stop 25 may be provided on arm 6 to tilt the guard 2 (as shown indotted lines Fig. 2) when the guard is moved away from the base.

In the embodiments Figs. 8 and 10, the projection 22 on arm 6 may beomitted, as shown.

By the construction described a safety razor having a two edged'blade isprovided whereof the component elements are normally inseparable, the

insertion or extraction of a blade being permitted merely by the angularrotation of the handle, devices being also provided to vary the degreeoftension to which the blade is subjected, and to facilitate the removalof the blade.

The invention may receive various other embodiments than those hereinspecifically illustrate ed and described.

my application filed on or about June 17, 1926, Serial No. 116,508.

, What is claimed is:

1. In a safety razor, a base, an arm, a single connection between saidarm and base near one end, said arm having a portion turned toward andoverhanging the middle portion of the base, a guard adapted to fit undersaid overhanging portion of the arm and over said base, and means onsaid arm adapted to press said guard and base together to hold a blade,said arm having means at its free end adapted to engage said guard, saidmeans comprising an inwardly turned projection at the free end of saidarm and an aperture in moved away from said base whereby said partscoact to tilt said guard.

3. In a safety razor, a base, an arm, [a single connection between saidarm and base near one end, said arm having a portion turned towardandoverhanging the middle portion of the base, a guard fitting undersaid overhanging portion of the arm and over said base, and means onsaid arm for pressing said guard and base together to hold a blade, saidguard having an aperture therein fitting said arm and inseparablyconnecting said guard and base, said arm and base being so constructedand arranged that a blade held upon said base is free to be used at twoopposite sides for cutting, released.

4. In a safety razor, a base, an arm and removed endwise when having asingle connection to said base in the longitudinal axis and near one endonly of said base, said arm having a portion turned toward andoverhanging the middle portion of the base, a guard fitting under saidoverhanging portion of the arm and over said base, and means on said armfor pressing said guard and base together to hold an interposed blade,said arm and base being so constructed and arranged that a blade heldupon said base is free to be used at either of its two opposite sidesfor cutting, and is removable axially of the base when released.

5. In a safety razor, a base, an arm having a single connection to saidbase in the longitudinal axis and near one end only of said base, saidarm having a portion turned toward and overhanging the middle portion ofthe base, a guard fitting under said overhanging portion of the arm andover said base, and a handle pivoted on said arm and having a partwhich, upon turning of said handle to its position of use, presses saidguard and base together to hold an interposed blade, said arm and basebeing so constructed and arranged that a blade held upon said base isfree to be used at either of its two opposite sides for cutting, and isremovable axially of the base when released.

6. In a safety razor, a blade, an arm having a single connection to saidbase in the longitudinal axis and near one end only of said base, saidarm having a portion turned toward and overhanging the middle portion ofthe base, a guard fitting under said overhanging portion of the arm andover said base, means on said arm for pressing said guard and basetogether to hold an interposed blade, and means on said arm forseparating a blade from the guard when the guard is lifted, said arm andbase being so constructed and arranged that a blade held upon said baseis free to be used at sides for cutting, and is removable axially of thebase when released.

'7. In a safety razor, a base, an arm having a single connection to saidbase in the longitudinal axis and near one end only of said base, saidarm having a portion turned toward and overhanging the middle portion ofthe base, a guard fitting under said overhanging portion of the arm andover said base, and means on said arm for pressing said guard and basetogether to hold an interposed blade, said arm having means at its freeend for engaging said guard, said arm either of its two opposite andbase being so constructed and arranged that a blade held upon said baseis free to be used at either of its two opposite sides for cutting, andis removable axially of the base when released.

8. In a safety razor, a base, an arm having a single connection to saidbase in the longitudinal axis and near one end only of said base, saidarm having a portion turned toward and overhanging the middle portion ofthe base, a guard fitting under said overhanging portion of the arm andover said base, and means on said arm for pressing guard and basetogether to hold an interposed blade, and a connection between saidguard and said pressing means for lifting said guard away from saidbase, said arm and base being so constructed and arranged that a bladeheld upon said base is free to be used at either of its two oppositesides for cutting, and is removable axially of the base when released.

9. In a safety razor, a curved base, an arm having a single connectionto said base in the longitudinal axis and near one end only of the base,said arm having a portion turned toward and overhanging the concavemiddle portion'of the base, a guard between said overhanging portion ofthe arm and over said base, a handle, means on said arm for pressingsaid guard and base together to hold an interposed blade, and a razorblade having a longitudinal slot near one end to fit said arm, said arm,blade and base being so constructed and arranged that a blade held uponsaid base is free to be used at either of its two opposite sides forcutting, and is removable of the base when released.

10. In a safety razor,'a base, an arm, having a single connection tosaid base in the longitudinal axis and near fitting under saidoverhanging portion of the arm and over said base, and a handle pivotedto said arm for pressing said guard and base together to hold aninterposed blade, said arm and base being so constructed and arrangedthat a blade held upon said base is free to be used at either of its twoopposite sides for cutting and axially of the base when released, saidguard having an adjustable bearing plug thereon, and said handle havinga cam arranged to bear on said plug.

JOSEPH SPENCER KENNARD, JR.

